DREAM TEAM!

As the final whistle was blown in the Champions League final the evening could be summed up by looking at Warren and Dave, lifelong Man United fans, whose faces were a cross between startled rabbit and shell-shocked griever.

They were not the only ones and later it was the players and manager who were finding it difficult to explain what had just happened.

Their team had just been given a football lesson by the Spanish giants and it had come completely out of the blue.

Going into the game they were full of hope, not just for this game, but for the next few years - they truly thought they were seeing a great United dynasty in the making.

Ninety minutes later these dreams were shattered and coming to terms with it was proving almost impossible.

United had gone into the game as slight favourites given the injury issues Barcelona were suffering from and also the trouble they had against the Reds last year, not to mention the way Chelsea played against them in the semi-final.

The first nine minutes suggested this favouritism would prove correct but then player-of-the-season Vidic allowed Eto'o to get on the wrong side of him and he toe-poked the opening goal inside Van De Saar's near post.

From that moment on the game changed with Iniesta and Xavi getting a stranglehold on the midfield with Messi providing an invaluable link.

Rarely can so many Manchester United players have spent so long chasing the ball across the field which had the added consequence of rushing when they finally got possession. It was as poor a passing display as I have seen in such a big match from a Ferguson side.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have founded their whole season on this style and to produce it on the biggest of stages means great credit should go to 'Pepe' Guardiola, the first season coach who has managed to win the treble.

Ever since Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' of the 90s, Barcelona managers have been haunted by his spectre hanging over the Nou Camp. Cruyff's team included players such as Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Rom‡rio, Gheorghe Hagi and Hristo Stoichkov and most interestingly one Josep Guardiola, current Barcelona manager. They won the European Cup at Wembley in 1992 on the back of four successive La Liga's.

Cruyff's influence is obvious on Guardiola given the way his team are playing, not least the attacking spirit he encourages that has led to over 100 goals in the league this year.

Whilst he has not yet created a dynasty he is well on his way and has at least bought himself some time in what is a very critical environment.

Had Xavi's freekick not hit the post and Henry not missed his best chance the scoreline may have been a lot worse for United long before Messi headed home with 20 minutes remaining. The diminutive Argentinean had a great game and his status battle with Ronaldo was not a contest on this particular evening.

On the biggest of stage he outperformed the United man in almost every area of the game.

Are United a poor team? Of course not, quite the reverse.

They still have quality in every area and even if Ronaldo goes over the summer there will be plenty of 'A List' players who will be attracted to the club.

It may, though, see the end of the likes of Scoles and Giggs and Ferguson may be contemplating why he went into such a game without a striker in the central position. Rooney on the left and the best part of £50 million on bench, whilst explainable, was not understandable.

Ferguson, more than anyone, will have had his pride hurt from this display. A mad two minutes by Bayern Munich and a John Terry slip in the penalty shootout are the margins he has won both his European titles.

This is not the record of a great manager and many European clubs would not have been as patient as his employers in Manchester have been over the last few years given the resources at his disposal.

Whilst United return with their egos severely bruised the rest of the football world are celebrating an outstanding team who had an outstanding night.

They have raised the bar this season and it will be fascinating to see whether they can sustain it next year - which they must if they are to be considered one of the greats.

United for one will be smarting from this defeat and with the likes of Rooney in the side they will be back next year with the hunger to regain the Champions League.

For their sake let's hope that Rome 2009 was just one of those awful nights that happen to every team.